Contents

Early life

Bowen was born Julia Bowen Luetkemeyer in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Suzanne and John Alexander Luetkemeyer, Jr., a commercial developer.[4] She first attended the Calvert School and Garrison Forest School in Baltimore. She continued on to Brown University, majoring in Italian Renaissance studies. In her junior year, Bowen spent a year abroad in Florence, Italy. During college, she had roles in Guys and Dolls, Stage Door, and Lemon Sky. Before graduating, Bowen had the lead role in the independent filmFive Spot Jewel. Among other places, Bowen studied acting at the Actor's Institute.

Perhaps Bowen's best-known role was on the television seriesEd, where she played high school English teacher Carol Vessey and the love interest of the protagonist, Ed Stevens. Since then, Bowen guest starred as the character of Sarah Shephard in five episodes of Lost. In the fall of 2005, Bowen joined the cast of Boston Legal, playing attorney Denise Bauer. She left the series in 2007, but returned for guest appearances in 2008. In 2008, Bowen joined the cast of Showtime comedy Weeds playing a single mother and love interest of Silas (Hunter Parrish).

Since fall 2009, Bowen co-stars in the ABC sitcom Modern Family, playing the character of Claire Dunphy.

Bowen was a spokesmodel for Neutrogena, most recently advertising the Pure Glow products.

Personal life

Bowen is the middle child of three sisters and one half brother. Her older sister, Molly Luetkemeyer, is an interior designer who has appeared on Clean Sweep, and her younger sister, Annie Luetkemeyer, is a doctor at the University of California, San Francisco in the HIV/AIDS Division. Bowen married Scott Phillips, a software developer, on September 9, 2004; their son Oliver McLanahan Phillips was born April 10, 2007, in Los Angeles.[5]

On November 4, 2008, Bowen announced that she was pregnant for the second time. On May 8, 2009, she gave birth to twin sons, John and Gus.